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‘Ideational power’ as a resource in union struggle

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  • Jonathan Preminger

Abstract

Contributing to our understanding of ideas as power resources in union struggle, this article analyses a labour dispute in Israel's shipping industry. The article follows the union's foregrounding of a specific idea of the state contained within the collective understanding of Israel's history, by which the union legitimised its position in the dispute and significantly influenced a government decision. The article therefore suggests that ideas can be an important power resource, particularly when other power resources are lacking but that this power resource is dependent on the specific ideational context: effective foregrounded ideas draw on a shared narrative that enables political actors to claim the moral high ground, while accusing their adversaries of failing to fulfil their moral obligations as understood via the frame of that shared narrative.

Suggested Citation

  • Jonathan Preminger, 2020. "‘Ideational power’ as a resource in union struggle," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(3), pages 209-224, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:indrel:v:51:y:2020:i:3:p:209-224
    DOI: 10.1111/irj.12289
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Cohen, Nissim & Naor, Michael, 2013. "Reducing dependence on oil? How policy entrepreneurs utilize the national security agenda to recruit government support: The case of electric transportation in Israel," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 582-590.
    2. Marco Hauptmeier, 2012. "Institutions Are What Actors Make of Them — The Changing Construction of Firm-Level Employment Relations in Spain," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 50(4), pages 737-759, December.
    3. Shalev, Michael, 1992. "Labour and the Political Economy in Israel," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198285137, Decembrie.
    4. William M. Foster & Diego M. Coraiola & Roy Suddaby & Jochem Kroezen & David Chandler, 2017. "The strategic use of historical narratives: a theoretical framework," Business History, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 59(8), pages 1176-1200, November.
    5. Ian Greer & Marco Hauptmeier, 2012. "Identity Work: Sustaining Transnational Collective Action at General Motors Europe," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(2), pages 275-299, April.
    6. Colm McLaughlin & Chris F. Wright, 2018. "The Role of Ideas in Understanding Industrial Relations Policy Change in Liberal Market Economies," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(4), pages 568-610, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Grégory Jemine, 2023. "It takes two to tango: Reconceptualizing union power and union effectiveness in a relational perspective," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(6), pages 445-470, November.
    2. Martin B. Carstensen & Christian Lyhne Ibsen & Vivien A. Schmidt, 2022. "Ideas and power in employment relations studies," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(1), pages 3-21, January.
    3. J. Ryan Lamare & John W. Budd, 2022. "The relative importance of industrial relations ideas in politics: A quantitative analysis of political party manifestos across 54 countries," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(1), pages 22-49, January.
    4. Paulo Marzionna, 2023. "Is this workplace bullying? How ideas about conflict shape conflict management strategies," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 61(2), pages 366-391, June.

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